Double-walled drawer frame with an inner wall and an outer wall

ABSTRACT

Double-walled drawer frame with an inner wall and an outer wall that can be bonded to each other, preferably with adhesive, wherein the inner wall has an inner wall bonding section and the outer wall has an outer wall bonding section, wherein the inner wall bonding section and the outer wall bonding section are arranged in the interior of the double-walled drawer frame in the assembly position and can be bonded to each other for the bonding of the inner wall with the outer wall, wherein the inner wall can be stably fixed in its position relative to the outer wall by a mechanical holding device that can be bonded to the inner wall bonding section and the outer wall bonding section.

The invention concerns a double-walled drawer frame member having an inner wall and an outer wall which can be connected together, preferably with adhesive, wherein the inner wall has an inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall has an outer wall connecting portion, wherein in the assembled position the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion are arranged in the interior of the double-walled drawer frame member and can be connected together for connecting the inner wall to the outer wall.

Double-walled drawer frame members are frequently produced in an automated production process. In that case the inner wall and the outer wall of the double-walled drawer frame member are suitably moved in position by a joining device and connected together with a suitable connecting procedure, for example by welding, adhesive, riveting, screwing or clinching. Particularly when the two walls are glued together with adhesive hitherto the double-walled drawer frame member has to remain in the joining device until the adhesive has hardened and thus the inner wall is fixedly joined to the outer wall. It is only thereafter that the joining device is brought out of engagement with the inner wall and the outer wall and the double-walled drawer frame member can pass through the further production steps.

The object of the invention is to provide a double-walled drawer frame member which is improved over the state of the art and an improved process for producing such a double-walled drawer frame member. In particular the invention seeks to provide that the production process of a double-walled drawer frame member is improved or speeded up.

According to the invention that object is attained by the features of claim 1. Advantageous configurations of the invention are recited in the appendant claims.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a mechanical holding device which can be connected to the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion and by which the inner wall can be fixed in positionally stable relationship relative to the outer wall.

Insofar as the inner wall can be fixed in positionally stable relationship relative to the outer wall at least at times by a mechanical holding device the joining device can already be brought out of engagement with the inner wall and the outer wall at an early time, whereby the further production steps for producing a double-walled drawer frame member in an automated production process can already be carried out earlier than hitherto. Particularly when the inner wall is glued to the outer wall therefore the residence time of the double-walled drawer frame member at the adhesive station can be reduced to a few seconds although the adhesive hardening time is possibly several minutes. In that way the cycle time of the production process can be reduced and thus the amount of double-walled drawer frame members produced per unit of time can be increased.

In a preferred embodiment it can be provided that the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion are arranged in an upper end region of the double-walled drawer frame member, wherein preferably the holding device is arranged substantially only in the region of the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion. In that way the material expenditure for the mechanical holding device can be restricted to a minimum.

In regard to the holding device which for example can be in the form of a holding clip it can be provided that a first contact surface of the holding device can be connected to the inner wall connecting portion and a second contact surface of the holding device can be connected to the outer wall connecting portion, wherein preferably the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion can be clamped or gripped between the first contact surface and the second contact surface.

In that respect it has proven to be particularly advantageous if in the assembled position of the holding device the first contact surface bears resiliently against the inner wall connecting portion and/or the second contact surface bears resiliently against the outer wall connecting portion.

A desirable development of the invention provides that the first contact surface is formed from a plurality of first individual abutments and/or the second contact surface is formed from a plurality of second individual abutments.

It is particularly advantageous if it is provided that the holding device for insertion into the double-walled drawer frame member has a preferably substantially slot-shaped opening, wherein the first contact surface is arranged at a first wall of the opening and the second contact surface is arranged at a second wall of the opening.

Preferably in that respect to facilitate insertion of the holding device into the double-walled drawer frame member the first wall of the opening and/or the second wall of the opening has or have an inclined run-on surface.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is one in which the holding device has a first limb and a second limb which projects preferably substantially perpendicularly from the first limb, wherein the opening is provided in the first limb. In that way the holding device can be pushed into the double-walled drawer frame member until the second limb comes to bear against an end face of the double-walled drawer frame member.

In a further variant it can be provided that the holding device is of a substantially ring-shaped configuration.

The holding device which can preferably be of a one-piece configuration can also at least partially and preferably completely comprise a plastic or a metal, preferably spring steel.

Protection is also claimed for a drawer having at least one and preferably two double-walled drawer frame member or members as set forth in one of claims 1 through 13.

In addition protection is also claimed for a process for the production of a double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 15. Advantageous variants are recited in the claims appendant thereto.

In a process according to the invention for the production of a double-walled drawer frame member comprising an inner wall, an outer wall and a mechanical holding device it is therefore provided that an inner wall connecting portion of the inner wall is connected to an outer wall connecting portion of the outer wall, the inner wall is connected, preferably glued, to the outer wall at least in the region of the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion, and the mechanical holding device is mounted in the interior of the double-walled drawer frame member to the inner wall connecting portion and to the outer wall connecting portion, wherein the mechanical holding device fixes the outer wall in positionally stable relationship relative to the inner wall.

It can preferably be provided that the inner wall and the outer wall are glued together at least in the region of the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it can be provided that to glue the inner wall to the outer wall the inner wall is positioned relative to the outer wall by a preferably automated joining device and the holding device for fixing in positionally stable relationship is mounted to the inner wall connecting portion and to the outer wall connecting portion, wherein the joining device is brought out of engagement with the inner wall and the outer wall before the adhesive has completely hardened.

In a particularly preferred embodiment it can be provided that the holding device is inserted into the double-walled drawer frame member by way of an end of the double-walled drawer frame member. As a further consequence the holding device can remain in the interior of the double-walled drawer frame member or can be removed again and re-used.

Further details and advantages of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter by means of the specific description with reference to the embodiments by way of example illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a drawer with two proposed double-walled drawer frame members,

FIG. 2 a shows a front view of a proposed holding device inserted into a double-walled drawer frame member,

FIGS. 2 b and 2 c show detail views of the double-walled drawer frame member of FIG. 2 a,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the double-walled drawer frame member of FIG. 2 a,

FIGS. 4 a through 4 d show various views of a proposed holding device,

FIG. 5 a shows the procedure for inserting a holding device into a double-walled drawer frame member,

FIG. 5 b shows a holding device inserted into the double-walled drawer frame member of FIG. 5 a,

FIGS. 6 a through 6 c show various views of a further proposed holding device, and

FIG. 7 shows a holding device as shown in FIG. 6 a inserted into a double-walled drawer frame member.

FIG. 1 shows a drawer 12 with two double-walled drawer frame members 1 which each include an inner wall 2 and an outer wall 3. In addition the drawer 12 includes a drawer bottom 16 as well as a rear wall 15 and a front panel 14.

FIG. 2 a shows a front view of a proposed double-walled drawer frame member 1, FIG. 2 b shows the region A marked with a circle in FIG. 2 a on an enlarged scale and FIG. 2 c shows the detail region B with a circle in FIG. 2 a on an enlarged scale. The double-walled drawer frame member 1 includes an inner wall 2 and an outer wall 3.

In this example the inner wall 2 has a wall portion 22 adjoined in the upper end region of the wall portion 22 by a cover 23 which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section. In this arrangement the cover 23 is formed by a portion bent over along the upper longitudinal edge of the wall portion 22 and at the same time represents the upper edge of the double-walled drawer frame member 1. Adjoining the cover 23 is an inner wall connecting portion 2 a which is of a substantially S-shaped configuration and thereby serves as a pivot mounting for an outer wall connecting portion 3 a, corresponding to that configuration, of the outer wall 3. A perpendicular profile portion as an end portion 20 of the inner wall 2 adjoins the S-shaped inner wall connecting portion 2 a.

The outer wall 3 has an outer wall connecting portion 3 a which is bent in a hook shape along the upper longitudinal edge and which corresponds to the configuration of the inner wall connecting portion 2 a and by which the outer wall 3 can be hangingly engaged into the inner wall connecting portion 2 a, which is in the form of a pivot mounting, of the inner wall 2.

In this example, to connect the inner wall 2 to the outer wall 3, an adhesive strip 21 (see FIG. 3) extending in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the inner wall 2 is arranged at the end portion 20 of the inner wall 2. The adhesive used in that case can be for example a two-component adhesive which is applied to the end portion 20 of the inner wall 2 by an automated process before the outer wall 3 is hangingly engaged into the inner wall connecting portion 2 a. To connect the inner wall 2 to the outer wall 3 in a lower end region of the double-walled drawer frame member 1 a further adhesive strip 21 is also arranged on an inner wall end portion 24, which adhesive strip can also be applied by an automated process (see FIG. 3).

In this example the inner wall end portion 24 is connected (for example welded, riveted, clinched) to a per se known container rail 17 which is to be further connected in known manner to a drawer bottom 16.

After the outer wall 3 is brought into engagement with its hook-shaped outer wall connecting portion 3 a into the inner wall connecting portion 2 a which is of a substantially S-shaped configuration the outer wall 3 can be pivoted in the direction of the inner wall 2 until the outer wall 3 is arranged substantially parallel to the inner wall 2 and is pressed against the adhesive strips 21. To be able to press the outer wall 3 better with the adhesive strip 21 on the inner wall end portion 24 the outer wall end portion 25 has a nose-shaped curved indentation portion 26 which is pressed into the adhesive strip 21 and thus achieves a better bonding action.

In order to fix the inner wall 2 in positionally stable relationship to the outer wall 3 during hardening of the adhesive of the adhesive strips 21 there is provided a mechanical holding device 4 which—introduced by way of the end 13 of the double-walled drawer frame member 1—can be connected in the form of a holding clip to the inner wall connecting portion 2 a and the outer wall connecting portion 3 a and thereby fixes the adhesive join at least until the adhesive is completely hardened.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the double-walled drawer frame member 1 as shown in FIG. 2 a, the outer wall 3 having been removed for the sake of clarity of the drawing. In this variant the connection of the inner wall end portion 24 to the container rail 17 does not extend along the entire longitudinal extent of the container rail 17 but the inner wall 2, in the front and rear end regions of the container rail 17, has corresponding openings. In that way a front fitment 18 and a rear fitment 19 can be connected directly to the container rail 17 in those regions, for example by welding or riveting. A rear wall holder 27 can be subsequently mounted to the rear fitment 19, the rear wall holder 27 serving to fix a rear wall 15 of a drawer 12, while a front fitting assembly (not shown here) can be mounted to the front fitment 18, the front fitting assembly subsequently serving for fixing and/or heightwise and lateral adjustment of a front panel 14 of a drawer 12 (see FIG. 1). In their upper end regions the front fitment 18 and the rear fitment 19 are respectively connected to the substantially vertically projecting end portion 20 of the inner wall 2, for example by welding. In this example, an adhesive strip 21 is arranged between the front fitment 18 and the rear fitment 19 for glueing the outer wall 3 to the inner wall 2, at the vertical end portion 20 of the inner wall 2, which adjoins the inner wall connecting portion 2 a. An adhesive strip 21 is also provided at the lower inner wall end portion 24 of the inner wall 2, that is connected to the container rail 17, for glueing the outer wall 3 to the inner wall 2.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show two perspective views of a proposed holding device 4, FIG. 4 c shows a side view and FIG. 4 d shows a view from below of the holding device 4 of FIG. 4 a. The mechanical holding device 4 shown here has a first limb 9 and a second limb 10 projecting substantially perpendicularly therefrom. In addition the first limb 9 has a substantially slot-shaped opening 7 which in this example extends into the second limb 10. Arranged at a first wall 7 a of the opening 7 are two first individual abutments 5′ which jointly form a first contact surface 5. Likewise the second wall 7 b of the opening 7 has two second individual abutments 6′ which jointly form a second contact surface 6. To facilitate insertion of the holding device 4 into a connecting region of a double-walled drawer frame member 1 the first wall 7 a and the second wall 7 b respectively have an inclined run-on surface 8.

FIG. 5 a shows a double-walled drawer frame member 1 as shown in FIG. 2 a, into which is fitted a holding device 4 as shown in FIG. 4 a. Upon insertion of the mechanical holding device 4 into the connecting region between the inner wall 2 and the outer wall 3, which in this example is in the form of a substantially S-shaped pivot mounting as the inner wall connecting portion 2 a and the outer wall connecting portion 3 a corresponding thereto in its configuration, the mechanical holding device 4 is pushed in, in the direction of the illustrated arrow 28. In this case the inclined run-on surfaces 8 of the holding device 4 facilitate insertion of that holding device 4 which is in the form of a holding clip. The holding device 4 is now inserted until the second limb 10 thereof bears against the end 13 of the double-walled drawer frame member 1. The end 11 of the second limb 10 of the holding device 4 is disposed in this example in the inserted position of the holding device 4 against the inner wall 2 and its substantially vertically extending wall portion 22.

In the assembled position of the mechanical holding device 4 as shown in FIG. 5 b the first contact surface 5 bears against the inner wall connecting portion 2 a and the second contact surface 6 bears against the outer wall connecting portion 3 a so that the inner wall connecting portion 2 a and the outer wall connecting portion 3 a are clamped between the first contact surface 5 and the second contact surface 6 and thus the inner wall 2 is fixed in positionally stable relationship relative to the outer wall 3. An adhesive previously introduced between the inner wall 2 and the outer wall 3—for example in the form of adhesive strip 21—can now harden without the double-walled drawer frame member 1 as an entirety having to remain at that point in a production process until the adhesive is completely hardened.

FIG. 6 a shows a perspective view of a further proposed mechanical holding device 4, FIG. 6 b shows a side view and FIG. 6 d shows a view from below of the holding device 4. In this example the holding device 4 is of a substantially ring-shaped configuration and has an opening 7 whose first wall 7 a has two first individual abutments 5′ and whose second wall 7 b has two second individual abutments 6′. The two first individual abutments 5′ jointly form a first contact surface 5 and the two second individual abutments 6′ jointly form a second contact surface 6.

FIG. 7 shows an upper end region of a double-walled drawer frame member 1, in the connecting region of which a mechanical holding device 4 as shown in FIGS. 6 a through 6 c was inserted between the inner wall 2 and the outer wall 3 for providing a positionally stable fixing. In this case the inner wall connecting portion 2 a and the outer wall connecting portion 3 a are clamped between the first contact surface 5 and the second contact surface 6 of the holding device 4 so that an adhesive introduced in that region between the inner wall 2 and the outer wall 3 can harden without the double-walled drawer frame member 1 having to remain at that point in a production process.

For all illustrated embodiments of the double-walled drawer frame member 1 the inner wall 2 and the outer wall 3 can for example comprise a steel or aluminum sheet and the above-described special and multi-functional configurations of the inner wall 2 and the outer wall 3 can in that case be implemented by a sheet bending process. 

1. A double-walled drawer frame member having an inner wall which essentially extends along the entire height of the drawer frame member and an outer wall which can be adhesively connected together with the inner wall, wherein the inner wall has an inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall has an outer wall connecting portion, wherein in the assembled position the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion are arranged in the interior of the double-walled drawer frame member and can be connected together for connecting the inner wall to the outer wall, characterised by a mechanical holding device which can be connected to the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion and by which the inner wall can be fixed in positionally stable relationship relative to the outer wall.
 2. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are glued together at least in the region of the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion.
 3. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion are arranged in an upper end region of the double-walled drawer frame member, wherein preferably the holding device is arranged substantially only in the region of the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion.
 4. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 1, wherein the holding device is in the form of a holding clip.
 5. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first contact surface of the holding device can be connected to the inner wall connecting portion and a second contact surface of the holding device can be connected to the outer wall connecting portion, wherein preferably the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion can be clamped or gripped between the first contact surface and the second contact surface.
 6. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 5, wherein in the assembled position of the holding device the first contact surface bears resiliently against the inner wall connecting portion and/or the second contact surface bears resiliently against the outer wall connecting portion.
 7. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first contact surface is formed from a plurality of first individual abutments and/or the second contact surface is formed from a plurality of second individual abutments.
 8. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 5, wherein the holding device for insertion into the double-walled drawer frame member has a preferably substantially slot-shaped opening, wherein the first contact surface is arranged at a first wall of the opening and the second contact surface is arranged at a second wall of the opening.
 9. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 8, wherein to facilitate insertion of the holding device into the double-walled drawer frame member the first wall of the opening and/or the second wall of the opening has or have an inclined run-on surface.
 10. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 8, wherein the holding device has a first limb and a second limb which projects preferably substantially perpendicularly from the first limb, wherein the opening is provided in the first limb.
 11. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim 8, wherein the holding device is of a substantially ring-shaped configuration.
 12. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in, claim 1, wherein the holding device comprises at least partially and preferably completely a plastic or a metal, preferably spring steel.
 13. A double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in, claim 1, wherein the holding device extends along a part of a longitudinal extent of the drawer frame member, preferably in a front end region of the drawer frame member.
 14. A drawer having at least one double-walled drawer frame member as set forth in claim
 1. 15. A process for the production of a double-walled drawer frame member comprising an inner wall which essentially extends along the entire height of the drawer frame member, an outer wall and a mechanical holding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein an inner wall connecting portion of the inner wall is connected to an outer wall connecting portion of the outer wall, the inner wall is glued to the outer wall at least in the region of the inner wall connecting portion and the outer wall connecting portion, and the mechanical holding device is mounted in the interior of the double-walled drawer frame member to the inner wall connecting portion and to the outer wall connecting portion, wherein the mechanical holding device fixes the outer wall in positionally stable relationship relative to the inner wall.
 16. A process as set forth in claim 15, wherein to glue the inner wall to the outer wall the inner wall is positioned relative to the outer wall by a preferably automated joining device and the holding device for fixing in positionally stable relationship is mounted to the inner wall connecting portion and to the outer wall connecting portion, wherein the joining device is brought out of engagement with the inner wall and the outer wall before the adhesive has completely hardened.
 17. A process as set forth in claim 15, wherein the holding device is inserted into the double-walled drawer frame member by way of an end of the double-walled drawer frame member. 